Method of making weatherproof nails



July 12, 1932.

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w/ yf Patented July 12, 19:524

PATENT OFFICE I encuen n DIcxsoN. or EvANs'roN, ILLINoIs v IETHOD F MAKING 'WEATHERPROOF Nm Application mea amen a7, 1931. serial No. 525,755.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of making weatherproof nails, and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The primary object of the invention isto provide an improved method for forming a soft metal cap upon the head of a nail to make it weatherproof and which ea is made by pressing a mass of such metal a out the nail head by means of eoacting dies or equivalent elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method which assures that the cap metal will dow or be caused to pass about the peripheral edge of the nail head to engage the underside thereof and fill up the spaces between the lugs on the underside of the nail head, thus insuring the provision of a maximum amount of capping material on the underside ofthe head and a finished cap that is keyed and secured against any turning movement upon the nail head.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of this kind .which is practical in that the caps may be rapidly ap lied to the respective nail heads at a low la. or cost and with no waste in cap material.

These objects of the invention as well as others, together with the many advantages thereof, will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawing l Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a weatherproof nail made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view-through adi'e and coacting punch or member adapted for carrying out the improved method of making weatherproof nails and before said die and punch have been relatively moved 'to form the cap upon the nail head. y

Fig. 3 is a'\view similar to Fig. 2 with the u parts in a different position, as upon completion of the operation of capping anail head.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the capped nail as taken on the line '4-4 of Fig. 1 and illustrates more particularly the bottom of the capped nail head.

In connection with my improved method" of making weatherproof nails, I employ a nail including a shank and head with a {silurality of lugs on the underside thereof.

uch a nail is placed shank downward in a die made to receive the same so that the lugs rest upon the bottom forming surface of such a die and thus spaces the head a proper distance above said surface. A mass of cap material such as lead (cold)l is inserted into the die to rest upon the top surface of the nail head and then a punch is brought down upon the same under pressure. This causes the mass of cap material to pass about the peripheral edge of the nail and to flow under the same to' lill in the spaces between the lugs. The bottom forming surface of the die imparts the desired shape to the bottom of the cap material and this is substantially Hush with the bottom of the lugs, while the punch imparts the desired shape to the top of the cap. 'Thereafter the capped nail is ready for use for its intended purpose.

Referring now in detail to that embodimentof the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and especially to Figs.v

2, 3 and 5 thereof, I operate upon a wire nail including acylindrical shank 1 and having 'a driving or piercing point 2 at one end and a head 3 at the other end. The head of the j nail which is flat on top `is of a diameter considerably greater than the shank and/is provided on the bottom with a plurality of areuately spaced projections or lugs 4, integral with both the head and shank. Said lugswhich are of a depth ap roximately that of the thickness of the hea are disposed radially of the shank and terminate short of the periphery of the head as shown. With such an arrangement, it is apparent that a plurality of inside corner like spaees-5 are disposed Y between the various lugs.

In applying the soft metal cap to the nail, I employ a die and coacting punch'as illus- 'trated in Figs. A2 and 3, both of sim le form,

inexpensive to make and capable o use in a. great many operations. As shown vin said Figs. 2 and 3, 6 indicates the die which is re- 10o l movabl)7 mounted in a support or holder 7.

Said die isy rovided with an axially disposed opening or re Sto receive theshank of the nail and said borecommuni'cates at its top endwith a recess Y9 in the top end of the die. Thisgrecess is of a diameter greater than that of the nail head and its bottom wall 10 is substantially dat. I

When a wire nail auch as before described is inserted in the die, its shank 1 is disposed in the axial opening 8 and the bottom surace of eachof the lugs 4f, respectivel engages or seats upon the said bottom sur ace l of the dieadjac'ent the opening 8. .As best shown in Fig. 2, this spaces the head of the nail a short distance above said bottom surface and the peripheral edge of the nail head is spaced inwardly from the wall of the recess 9.

A mass 11 of metal softer than that of which the die and nail are formed, preferably lead, is placed in the recess 9 to engage upon the fiat top surface of the nail head. As the shape of such mass is immaterial, I find it convenient to use therefore, buck shot of the desired size and which may be readily purchased in open market.

In connection with the' die mentioned` l employ a punch or plunger 12 which its nicely in the recess 9 and has a concave or other suitably shaped recess `13 in its bottom end. When such a punch or plunger is forced into the die recess under suitable pressure, the mass 1l of soft cap metal is caused to change its form or shape. In this movement of the punch, a portion o'said mass of cap material is forced down around the peripheral edge of the head and then beneath the same to ll in the corner spaces 5 to form the bottom Wall 14 of the cap with locking corners or keys 15 therein disposed between the lugs a on the nail. Another portion 16 of said mass surroundsthe periphery of the head to form the side wall of the cap while still another portion of said mass forms the top wall 17 of the cap.

This soft metal cap encloses the head of the nail as Well as the sides and ends of the lugs 4 and the keys 15 eiiectively secure the cap from turning upon the nail head. Thus only the bottom surface of the lugs are devoid of capmaterial. After the cap has been thus formed, the capped nail is removed from the die in any suitable manner. Y

It is pointed out that with the arrangement of the lugs as described, a support or seatis provided for the head upon the bottom wall of the die recess: which holds said head against bending under the great pressure it issubjected to when the punch descends to form the mass of cap material about thehead. Such pressure also renders the cap material more dense so that it stands up better under the action of the hammer in driving it home. ln this driving of the nail, the top of the cap which receives the impact from 8 'in the die of a diameter slightly greater 7G than that of the shank of the nail operated` upon. The reason' for this difference is because the Shanks of the nails vary slightlyin diameter or gauge and because in many 1nstances a tin isjlet on the piercing end of the shank h the cut od die of the nail Ina-' chine and w 'ch tins are not always removed by the usual tumbling the finished nail receives. Thus by making such die opening oversize so to speak, nails slightly oversize with respect to gaugeand having oversize tins thereoncan be readily operated upon.

By the provision of the lugs 4 as described, such a gap as may exist between said opening 8 and the shank of the nails when the latter is undersized, is spanned by said lugs. ln this manner a proper support is afforded by said lugs for the nail head and still permit the capping metal to flow around'the periphery of the head under the bottom thereof and thence inwardly toward the shank of' the nail completely filling the corner spaces before mentioned. Again this arrangement permits a larger amount of capping metal to iow and be provided on .the bottom side of the head, which is of a greater advantage for the intended use of the nail.

While in describing the invention, l have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction o the nail employed as well as to certain sequence in the steps or opera-4 tions inproducing the same, it is only intended as by way of illustration so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may he specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The methodo making weatherproofnails which consists in roviding a headed nail having a plurality o? lugs on the underside of the head and enclosing all o f the head and all surfaces of said lugs except the bottom thereof in a cap of softer metal.

2. The method of making weatherproof nails which consists in providing a headed nail having a plurality of lugs o n the underside-of the head which terminate short yof Y the periphery of the head andv enclosing all of said head and all surfaces' of said lugs except the bottom thereof in a cap of softer metal.

3. The method of making weatherproof nails which consists in providing a headed nail having a pluralityi of arcuately spaced lugs on the underside of said head which terminate short of the periphery thereof, providing a die having a recess of a diameter greater than that of the nail head and a'nail shank receiving opening, inserting the shanky of a nail in said opening so that .the bottoni,l

surface of said lugs rest upon the bottom wall of the recess about said opening, placing a mass of cap material upon the top of the nail head in the recess and a plying pressure to said mass of metal to orce it aboutthe nail head to enclose all of the same and all surfaces of the lugs except the bottom surface thereof.

4. The method of nails which consists in providing a headed nail having a plurality of arcuately spaced lugs on the underside of said head which terminate short of the periphery thereof, providing a die having a recess of a diameter greater t of a nail in said opening so that the bottom surface of said lugs rest upon the bottomvwall of the recess about said opening, placing a mass of cap material upon the top of the nail head in the recess and exerting a pressure upon said mass b means of a coacting punch inserted into sai die recess, thereby causin said cap material to flow beneath the hea into the spaces` between said lugs and to env close all of said head and all surfaces of said v lugs except that 'surface engaged. upon .the

bottom wall of the recess about said opening. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of March, 1931.

GEORGE E. DICKSON.

v making weatherproof an that of the nail head and a nail shank receiving opening. insertingI the shank`V 

